Sunday, 26 December 2010

Football Football

I have had a great time over the last year working with Nigel Hargreaves the founder of Football Football and the former Head of Strategic Development at the FA. I have never met anyone with as much passion for getting the job done, he is very much a doer which will mean that the Football Football project will be a success.

We have had a number of different programmes all based on fun and games for 5-12 year old's. A particular favourite of mine was a 7 week programme which was based each week on a different country, Brazil, Spain, Holland etc - all games based on the philosophy and coaching of these countries. In gave the children a fabulous insight into how children from around the world learn the game. I really enjoy writing the programme and the various age specific games.

The Football Football programme is a new and innovative football participation programme for young people aged from 5 to 12. It launched on 8th May 2010, initially in 6 pilot locations and then on Saturday 12th June in around 28 purpose built football centres in the UK aimed at getting thousands more children aged between 5 and 12 playing football.

Football Football is a celebration of the children’s game, where every child plays for every second.

The greatest game on earth is given back to the children through fun based small sided games which give the players many more touches of the ball and more involvement in the games, while developing them technically, tactically and socially.

What you won’t find at Football Football are leagues, points, substitutes and some of the adult elements that have meant that many children just don’t get a chance to play or are always waiting on the sideline.

Football Football will reach thousands of children country wide, in inner cities and large towns where chances are often limited, e.g. participation in London is 50% lower than the national average. The programme, developed in partnership with The FA, helps address the 1.1m children who would like to join a teamand the 2.4m children who want to improve their football skills.[1]

Football Football seeks to give children a life time love of the game by providing them with a full on football experience which takes the positive values of the games played by children in the streets, parks and playgrounds of past generations, but in a safe, fun environment with FA qualified coaches, a maximum of 10 players per coach and first class facilities.

Football Football provides children with an opportunity to play football their way and the excitement and the indescribable feeling that comes with it. They are fully engaged for the full sixty minutes and will benefit both physically and mentally from the experience

Football Football is the children’s own club where they can play, meet new friends, and learn new skills

The programme is being developed by Nigel Hargreaves, former Head of Strategic Development at The FA from 2001 to 2009, and Paul Cooper, Founder of the ‘Give us back our Game’ campaign